Automobile tool



Nov. 1, 1927.

B. J. CATRON AUTOMOBILE TOOL Filed Sept. 7. 1926 Inventor Attorney Patented Nov. 1, I927.

PATENT OFFICE.=

BURL JACKSON CATRON, OF SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 ALFRED D. HAINES, OF SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE TOOL.

Application filed September 7, 1926. Serial No. 133,992.

This invention relates to an improved automotive appliance, and it has more particular reference to a special tool particularly, but not necessarily, adapted for use by autcm Jile mechanics inrepairing and assembling arts of the engine.

The tool 1s capable of use in places ordinarily inaccessible and it is highly adapted for applying and removing small screws, nuts, and the like, and an important factor lies in the fact that it enables the user to reach far back in the walls of an engine for the purpose of picking up loose parts, such as valve locks which have fallen down into the engine and which, in order to remove, often makes it necessary to remove parts of th" engine itself if the mechanic does not possess this or some other similar tool.

Briefly, the tool comprises a handle provided with a pair of resilient prongs, so as socated with each other as to ermit them to be spaced apart and clamped against the head of a bolt, a nut, or the like, or permit them to be brought together for insertion in the kerf of a screw for removing or inserting it.

An important feature is in the simplicity and inexpensiveness of construction and the practicability which renders the tool exceptionally eflicient.

, Other features and advantages .of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a tool constructed in accordance with this invention, showing the screw driver ends of the prongs spaced apart,

Fig. 2 is a view at right angles toFig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view showing the sleeve adjusted and the prongs engaged with a nut for the holding of the nut, and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the screw driver ends brought together and inserted in the kcrf of a screw.,

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference character 1 designates a handle which may be of wood. The prongs of which there are two, comprise resilient wire rods firmly anchored at their inner ends in the handle as shown. The

inner portions 2 of these prongs extend in parallelism. The prongs are bent however,

to cross each other as at 3, thus disposing the portions 4 in spaced parallelism under ordinary circumstances.

operation, this metal adjusting sleeve is provided with an upper lateral finger piece 7. The shape and arrangement of the prongs normally spaces them apart as stated, so that the ends 5 may be engaged with a nut 8 as shown in Fig. 3. To hold them in firm engagement, the sleeve is obviously slid down to the approximate position shown in Figure 3. However, the sleeve may be slid entirely down to bring the ends 5 together in close proximity to form an effective screw driver for insertion in thekerf in the head of a screw, 9, as represented in Fig. 4.

The construction and o eration will doubtlessly be clear from the escription and drawings, and a more lengthy description is therefore thought unnecessary. Minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is In a tool of the class described, a handle provided with a pair of resilient prongs, the portions of the prongs adjacent to the handle being arranged side by side and close together, the intermediate portions of the prongs being disposed in crossed relation to normally d1s ose the free end portion in spaced paral elism, and the extremities of the prongs being formed with screw driver blades, and an adjusting sleeve slidably mounted on the prong and twisted conformably to said portions of the prong's to rotate about the prongs when slid longitudinally thereon to bring the free end portions together for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature. 

